Crochet Extra - April 2024 - Crochet Australia

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I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter with your family and/or friends. For us, and many Queenslanders it has been very wet – I do believe I’m beginning to grow webbed feet! For those of you who visit the store you will see we have much of the grassy areas roped off after a couple of near misses with cars getting bogged – better to be on the safe side. Many of my Victorian friends are having a bit of a laugh at us – no sunshine to be seen here on the Sunshine Coast!

Our new yarns have all arrived! The Spritz yarn – Alpaca and cotton – has far exceeded my expectations. You only need a project with a simple stitch to allow the colours to shine. I crocheted up this quick simple V stitch cowl and I absolutely love the way the colours came together.

And our empty shelves are full again with the Queensland Collection Coastal Cotton Ocean Mist a beautiful multicolour 10ply cotton that matches perfectly with the Fiddlesticks Finch 10 ply cotton.

Today is also the day the Crochet Tournament for 2024 starts! Everyone who has registered should have received an email this morning – if you didn’t please check your spam/junk folders then contact us if you still can’t find it. If you’ve forgotten to register, that’s okay – it is open for registration for just 1 more week! Stage 1 comprises of these oven mits – very practical and a great addition to any kitchen!

As the school holidays are here, it’s a great time for the kids to learn crochet – it’s a nice alternative to them being glued to a screen all day in this wet weather. We have learn to crochet classes in store – Tuesday afternoons 12.30 – 2.30. Or if you have a group larger than 5 we can schedule your own session to learn. Just contact us to arrange a suitable time.

Our class for April is the Sunshine Shawl – a great lightweight lacy wrap for the changing season. The online class begins Monday 8 April, while the instore classes begin Tuesday 2 April. It looks great

Next month we also have a special 1 day workshop – Saturday 25th May to crochet a pair of socks – the perfect thing for those cool winter evenings ahead. This workshop will be led by myself at Crochet Australia. Ahead of the workshop we will have new colours in the Opal sock yarn coming our way. All those who attend the workshop will get 10% off their sock yarn. Or you can bring your own.

Book your spot at either of these classes here

Until next time

Lynda

Theme— Upcycling

One of this years’ fashion trends is upcycling – repurposing old crochet items such as doilies/squares or afghans and turning them into something new, or refreshing old garments via embellishing them with flowers or patches, or adding crochet panels. And these themes work equally well with tatting or knitting.

These creations are also known as ‘mixed media’ projects and have become all the rage in the pricey boutiques as well. As crocheters, knitters or tatters, you can create your very own mixed media piece and walk the streets with the latest look! Check out some of the ideas I found in Printerest:

While it may be fashionable it is also important in many other ways:

Doilies are not used extensively in the home any more, yet many of the vintage doilies are still in good condition and feature beautiful patterns, so this is a great way to show them off rather than put them away to collect dust. Or create new doilies using many of the old vintage patterns, and show them off!
Repurposing items is a great way to save money. In our current environment, where every penny counts, you can create something both unique and with a ‘new’ feel to it, without having to spend a fortune.
It’s good for the environment! Rather than throwing things away to become landfill, extending the life of our beautifully crafted pieces contributes to a much more sustainable way of life.
It’s also a great way of jazzing up a piece purchased at a second-hand/charity shop – giving it a new lease of life and making it truly unique.

Here are some upcycling ideas you can try yourself:

Create a patch to place on jumpers or jackets or even jeans, shorts or skirts. This can be anything – a flower, doily, granny square, motif or even a freeform ‘scrumble’ of any shape. Patching is also a great way of covering rips or holes.
Adding an edge/border to your favourite shirt, jumper, skirt, shorts or dress. This can be at the bottom to add length, around the neck or sleeves.
Insert a panel into a jacket, shirt or skirt or dress. This can be to replace a back, front, sleeve or knee in your favourite crochet style – lace, motif, granny square, colourwork such as fair isle, intarsia, tapestry, mosaic, etc. It’s a great way of extending the life of a garment where just one section has been ripped or worn through and the rest is still useable.

Join a collection of doilies or motifs together to create a whole new outfit – such as a dress, skirt or top, such as these found on Printerest.

Of course there are very few pattern books that take you through how to upcycle, as every item is unique, however in our look what we found section we have featured books with flowers, motifs, edges and some yarn and other tools you can use to create your own upcycled piece.

Book of the Month

Waterfall Crochet Granny Squares

By Joanne C. Gonzalez.

This book includes instructions for 20 different patterned granny squares to make then assemble into an afghan. The skill level is intermediate. It includes great appendix and tips section in the back of the book with photographic images.

The squares will also make great patches in inserts in your upcycling projects.

54 pages American terminologyﾠ

Tip of the Month – Upcycling 101

So you’ve decided to have a review of your wardrobe to give some clothes a new lease of life, or you’ve picked up some items from the charity shops that can be freshened up. If you plan to do this with crochet, knitting or even tatting, read on..